Not Afraid of the Moon
by LilyGinnyBlack
Summary: A little oneshot about what I think happened after the whole veil fiasco in OotP. The only question I ask is...What happens when Remus Lupin has to escort Luna Lovegood back to Hogwarts? An unexpected relevation by the former.


_**Not Afraid of the Moon**_

**_By:_** LilyGinnyBlack

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing, all of the characters and settings belong to JK Rowling and all other respective businesses such as Scholastic, Raincoat, WB, ect.**_

_A/N: Hello everyone:D This is a little one-shot that I wrote for the HMS Peace challenge. The story has to involve both Lupin and Luna in either a romantic or non-romantic way. I choose the latter. Well, I hope you enjoy this one-shot of mine. :)_

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There had been one time. One time when Remus John Lupin wasn't afraid of the moon, but rather, found comfort in it. It had been a time when everything had been going wrong and the pain of being alone stung more viciously than ever before. The pained words of Harry had still been imbedded into his mind and the realization of having lost his friend all over again weighed heavily upon his fragile shoulders.

If one were to describe Lupin now, they would not say that his eyes were a glowing amber color like usual, but that they were a dull brown. Eyes voided of all happiness to the world around them. Shrouded in pain and engulfed in darkness. He only wanted to be left alone at that moment, but it was a feat that was found to be impossible.

Since he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix he had assignments that he needed to do…And at the moment it was to find a one Luna Lovegood. If this had been a week ago or even the other day he would have been excited at seeing an old pupil (besides Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George) again. If it had been just the other day when he was laughing at a prank that Sirius had pulled on Tonks, then he might have greeted Luna in a much more enthusiastic and marauder-like way. Not in the depressed and overly gloomy way that he did in fact greet her.

Lupin involuntarily shuddered as she looked at him with those eyes of hers; so pale, a light grayish-blue, just like her hair was a pale blonde and her skin almost white. Everything about her seemed out of place among this dark and bleak outlook on life that Lupin now held; though her eyes stood out the most…So large and inquisitive, so unreal that they seemed to be looking _beyond_ you. It unnerved him and also intrigued him at the same time.

"Miss Lovegood, correct?" he asked her, not being able to directly look her in the eyes. He waited several minutes for a response, but received none. "_Just like her" _he thought. He remembered when he had taught her, back then she had only been a second year, but he was able to tell right from the first class that she was nothing short of interesting.

Finally he was given some form of response from the nearly albino young woman, "Professor Lupin, what are you doing here?" She seemed generally perplexed, yet her face didn't fully show it.

"I've come to take you back to Hogwarts where you will be taken to the hospital wing." His voice was dull and sad when he said all this, not having the state of mind to deal with such a far out thinker as Luna. She seemed to take notice on this though and thus she only nodded her head and followed Lupin out of the doorway.

They had been walking for quite a while and were walking down the corridor that led to the atrium. "You know, in my second year, I use to have a crush on you." This had stopped the wearied down man in his tracks.

He turned back to look at the Ravenclaw and simply asked, "What?"

But Luna did not answer…She brought up another topic instead, "You seem very out of it today, Professor, and also very down." This simple statement affected Lupin's internal emotions.

"Today wasn't a very good day for me." Short and sweet, that was the reply that Lupin gave the girl. Yet, she seemed to want to talk more on this subject.

"Yes, today was a bad day for me as well. I think that I lost one of my radish earrings somewhere either at school or around here, I can't remember. Oh, and I'm getting my stuff back later this year then usual, I guess I'll have to put the signs up earlier. Maybe I'll start putting them up when I get out of the hospital wing. Yes, that sounds about right." By the end of her little blurb of spoken thought, Luna had trailed off into her own little world of thought, leaving Lupin lonely behind.

Falling into silence once again they continued on into the elevator that would lead them to the muggle world outside. "I did understand what you meant, Professor Lupin, I'm not that loony you know. I too, have lost a dear person to me…My mother had died when I was still rather young…I only remember a little bit about her. Some people say that it is better to not know that much about a person who should have been closed to you dies, but I believe it to be the other way around. At least you have vivid memories to look back on…To cherish…I have only a few scattered memories of my mother and they are all blurred. I can't wait until I meet her again."

Lupin had only been have paying attention to what Luna had been saying, but what got his full concentrated thought, was the last thing that she said. How would she be able to meet her mother again, if said mother had already died? It was a question that he was dying to ask, "How can you say so confidently that you will see your mother again; when you know full well that she is dead?"

She just smiled at Lupin, "I like to think that we will all meet up and see each other again. After all, those who die are only just lurking in the shadows, whether those shadows be the shadows cast by the walls from the glowing torch light…Or the shadows of our hearts. The impact those people left on us will never leave. We will all be able to see each other again, and so, I am patiently waiting for the day." That smile was so ethereal and mysterious…But that smile also made him feel better.

For once the moon did not bring him pain, agony, or guilt. As they walked out of the rundown telephone booth and on to the shabby muggle road, they walked a few feet away and he took out a portkey that would bring them straight to Hogwarts. Once it was activated and they were in the school building, the memories all came back to him. Who knew that the moon would give him help and guidance through such a tough time? Who knew, right at that moment, that the moon was the only thing his torn soul longed for? But that need for the moon…Only lasted that one night; that one night where it found an opening and shinned so brightly; only to dip back into the darkened clouds.

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_A/N: So that's the story:) It is short I know, but I felt that it came out rather good. I hope that you all enjoyed and please tell me what you think about it. ;)_


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